News In Brief

Public-TV official named chief of PBS

Bruce L. Christensen, for the past two years president of the National Association of Public Television Stations, was elected president of Public Broadcasting System Wednesday at a meeting of the PBS board of directors in Chicago.

The appointment follows a year-long search within and without the broadcast field for a replacement for PBS president Lawrence K. Grossman, who resigned to become president of NBC News.

Upon accepting the position, Mr. Christensen, who will join PBS May 15, said, ''Our first order of business will be to regain the momentum lost over the last couple of years due to cuts in funding at the federal level.